Quick-adjustment clamp



1,689,331 A. DISIBIO QUICK ADJUSTMENT CLAMP Oct. 30, 1928.

Filed April 15, 1927 BY @w gmm ATTORN EY Patented Oct. 30, 1928.

UNETED STATES ANGELO DISIBIO, OF PITTSBUBG, CALIFORNIA.

QUICK-ADJUSTMENT CLAMP.

Application filed April 15, 1927. Serial No. 183963.

This invention relates to improvements in clamps such as are used by carpenters, foundrymen, and other artisans for temporarily clamping "separable parts together for different purposes.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a clamp for the purpose having a great spread of the clamping jaws or pads, with means for moving the jaws very quickly to and from each other so as to avoid a great extent of longitudinal adjustment of the clamping screw being necessary; and a means for positively preventing slippage of the adjustable member on the shank-bar of the clamp, while at the same time enabling said member to be readily released and retracted without having to first retract the clamping screw to any appreciable extent.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative a'rangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claim.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Fig. 1 is a perspective elevation of my improved clamp.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the slide block vith the cover plate removed to show the interior features.

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section of the slide block substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of the cl amp-- ing screw showing one of the pad sections associated therewith.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the numeral 1 denotes a rigid bar of suitable cross sectional dimensions and length having on one end a pad '2 projecting outwardly therefrom a suitable distance and with its clamping face disposed at right angles to the bar. The face of the bar from which the pad projects is provided throughout its extent with transverse ratchet teeth or notches 3. Slidable on the bar is a block 4: having a longitudinal screw 5 threaded therethrough and disposed in longitudinal and transverse alinement with the outer portion of the pad 2. The end of the screw facing the pad has a ball head 6, while the other end has a suitable operating handle 7.

plate is provided with a handle 16.

Turnable on the ball so as to have limited universal movement is a pad 8 preferably formed of two separable sections permanently connected together by rivets 9 or the like.

Slidable in the block 4- between the screw and the bar for movement to and from the latter is a pawl 10 adapted to engage the teeth 3. The pawl is normally held in en gagement with a tooth by a spring 11. The face of the block farthest from the pad 2 has an opening therein of sufiicient size to hold the pawl and spring to be mounted in position, which opening is normally covered by a removable plate 12. Turnably mounted in the plate and also in the block to one side of the pawl is a key 13 having a lateral or radial tongue 14 projecting into a slot or notch 15 cut in the adjacent side of the pawl. The key is not removable from its position in the block as long as the plate 12 is in place, and on its outer end and beyond said This handle is of a character such as to enable the necessary pawl raising pressure to be applied to the key and also to enable the block to be retracted along the bar by pulling on the key while the same is maintained in its pawl raising position.

In operation it will be seen that the block may be pushed along the bar toward the pad 2 without manipulating the key, since the teeth and pawl are so cut that the pawl is free to move into and out of the teeth with such movement. The screw pad may therefore be brought adjacent the parts to be clamped very quickly so that little turning of the screw is then necessary to cause the pads 2 and 8 to engage the parts being clamped with the necessary frictional pressure. The block however cannot be moved in the opposite direction unless the key is turned to raise the pawl clear of the teeth. This may be easily done by retracting the screw from the parts clamped if necessary just suflicient to lessen the pressure of the pawl against the tooth with which it is engaged so that the key may be turned without undue strain. The block may be then slid along the bar the desired distance by holding the key in its turned position and at the same time pulling on the key in a direction away fro-m the bar pad.

Since the key cannot be removed from association with the block or pawl unless the plate 12 is removed, no care need be taken to see that the key while being thus manipulated does not become disengaged from the pawl or block. Upon the release of the key the pawl will instantly drop of itself into an adjacent tooth in the bar on account of the action of the spring 1.1.

In order to prevent the slide block from possible tipping on the bar owing to the presence of the tooth-recesses in the upper face thereof, said bar below the teeth is Wider than said teeth to form lateral ledges 1. The slot in the block through which the bar slides in turn has shoulders S to ride against the ledges. This construction is plainly shown in Fig. 2.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfi ls the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

lVhile this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended olaini.

Having thus described my invention What I claim as new and useful and desire to s cure by Letters Patent is:

In a clamp, a bar, a block slidable therealong, a screw mounted in the block parallel to the bar, ratchet teeth along that face of the bar Which is adjacent the screw, a pawl slidably enclosed Within the block and normally engaging the teeth, said pawl being disposed at an angle to the bar and having a notch in one side thereof intermediate its ends, and a key turnably mounted in the ANGELO DISIBIO. 

